The Great Gatsby
Dance in the 1920s Dance in the 1920s was becoming increasingly popular. The 1920s followed the extremely well known dance era widely known as the jazz era. Swing dancing was climbing up the ranks in popularity, but the Charleston was by far the most popular dance form of the time. Dancing was, and still is today in the 1990s, a great form of entertainment as well as exercise. It has always been one of the most popular social activities in existence. While dancing, people can let go of all their cares and just enjoy the music as well as the company of those they are dancing with. In The Great Gatsby Gatsby's party at his home where he was first introduced is the setting of perfect party dancing conditions.



The Charleston was probably the most popular dance form of the 1920s. People did the Charleston solo, with a partner, or in a group. When doing the Charleston, the knees are turned in, as are the toes, and the body weight shifts from leg to leg. While doing the Charleston, exuberant kicks and movements of arms and hands are very characteristic of the dance. Charleston dance has its origin in Charleston, South Carolina, and was originally a black folk dance. The Charleston was featured in the 1923 black musical, Runnin' Wild and became a popular craze right after that.

The Lindy Hop for couples became popular in the late 1920s and was performed to big-band swing music. It was the most popular form of swing dancing in the 1920s. The Lindy Hop got its name from American Aviator Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight, or, "hop" across the Atlantic. The Lindy Hop begins with a syncopated two-step, after which the partners separate to perform their own special little individual steps/moves and then return back together. There were two styles of Lindy Hop. One style was made up of intricate footwork, spins and floor steps while the other demonstrated acrobatic aerial movements. The dance began in Harlem and for the most part remained there until the 1930s when it spread across the U.S. and eventually led to the development of another dance form--the jitterbug.

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire were famous dance partners of the 1920s and 1930s and they led the U.S. in all of the most popular dance forms of the times through their work together in shows and movies. The dances of the 1920s demonstrated the euphoric sense of prosperity and freedom that society was feeling at the time.

Page created on April 28, 1999.
Curator: Jessica Schilcher
GREAT GATSBY HOME